Car-fender.



No. 734,181. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

' r. R. KEITH.

GAR FENDER.

H0 IODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,181, dated July 21,1903.

Application filed March 25, 1903. Serial No. 149,478. (No niodel.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern: I

Beit known that I, FREDERICK R. KEITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Randolph, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Car-Fenders, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to car-fenders, and has for its object to providea novelzconstruction of fender which is simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and which is effective in operation. 7

The particular features wherein the novelty ofmy invention resides willbe more particularly defined hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is aside view of the front portion of a car, 'showin g myimproved fender applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front View of the fender.Figs. 3 and 4 are details.

The frame of the fender comprises the two substantially L-shaped sidepieces 4:, which support the back, sides, and bottom of the fender. Theback of the fender'is shown as being composed of slats or bars 7,extending from the vertical portion of one side piece to that of theother, and the slats are shown as each having at its ends the tenons 61,which are received by apertures in the side pieces. Suitable tie-rods 3serve to tie the vertical portions of the side pieces together, and thushold the slats in place. The slats thus act as struts and with thetie-rods go to make up 'a very rigid structure. One of the tie-rods 3passes through eyes in the ends of arms 6, projecting from the car-body5, thus pivotally connecting the fender to the car-body. Any othersuitable way of pivotally mounting the fender may be employed, however,without departing from my invention. The nose or front portion 8 of theside pieces are connected together by a cross-bar 15 at the front ornose of the fender.

The fender-bottom is formed by slats 11,

which are secured to longitudinally-extendin g supports or pieces 10,the latter being pivoted at their front ends on the rod 9, which extendsacross the fender at the nose ends of the side pieces. The rear portions12 of the in Fig. 1, to form a portion of the back of the fender. Theback end of the bottom is yieldingly sustained by means of suitablesprings 13, which are connected at their upper ends to some suitablefixed pointsas, for instance, the arms 6and at the lower ends to theupturned ends 12 of the members 10.

I prefer to provide some suitable meansfor limiting the downwardmovement of the back end of the fender, such means being herein shown aschains or cords 14, fast at their upperends to some suitable fixedsupport and at the lower ends to the members 10.

The sides of the fenders are designated by 16 and may be made in anysuitable way. I prefer, however, to make them detachable for a purposehereinafter described, and accordingly I have illustrated each of themas having the eyes'17, which set over supporting-pins 18 on thecorresponding side piece 4;.

When in position, the lower portion or rail 19 of each fender side restsupon the nosepiece 8 of the corresponding side piece of the fender, andsaid fender sides are held against lateral displacement outwardly by theengagement of the projecting portions 20 of the vertical slats 21 withthe inner side of the nose-pieces 8 of the corresponding side pieces.Any suitable device may be employed to hold the fender sides againstinward lateral movement.

The side pieces 4 are each jointed, as at 23, so that the nose portions8 can be swung upward into dotted-line position, Fig. 1, when it isdesired to fold up the fender. The joint that I preferably use is aknuckle-jointthat is, the nose portion 8 has the shoulder 25, whichengagesa shoulder 26 on the fixed portion of the side piece 4 when theparts are in their operative position, as best seen in .Fig. 4:, theengagement of the shoulders limiting the "downward swinging movement ofthe nose-piece.

To look each nose-piece 8 in its horizontal position, I have illustrateda locking-pin 27, which is adapted to extend through alined apertures inthe overlapping portion of the nose-piece 8 and shank 8 When it isdesired to fold up the fender, the fender sides 16 are removed bodilyand members 10 are bent upwardly, as best seen.

the pins 27 taken out, when the nose-pieces v may be swung into thedotted-line position, Fig. 1. After the fender is folded the sides 16may be carried between the fender-back and the folded-up bottom, and thelatter may be held in its folded position by any suitable means.

The nose of the fender is normally held the proper distance above thetracks by means of yielding supports which engage the lower end of eachside piece 4. As herein shown, each support com prises a head 35, ofsuitable yielding material, carried by a rod 36, slidably mounted in asuitable bumper 37, depending from the car-body. A spring 39,surrounding each rod, tends normally to hold the head in its forwardposition, and an ad- 'justing-nut 38 on each rod 36 limits its forwardmovement. By changing the position of the adjusting-nuts 38 on the rods36 the nose-bar 15 of the fender may be elevated or depressed, so as tobring it to the proper elevation for most efficient action. I prefer toemploy a check-nut 38 to lock the adjustingnut 38 in place. \Vheneverthe fenderstrikes an obstruction on the track, the springs 39 yield andpermit the fender to swing about the pivot 3, to thus carry its nosedownward toward the track and in position to scoop up the obstacle. Ihave shown each of the heads 35 as being recessed to receive thecorresponding side bar 4.

40 designates a suitable roll mounted on the tie-rod 9 and which has forits object to assistin carrying the person or obstacle struck by thefender to the rear portion thereof.

The front portions of the fender sides will preferably be provided witha yielding surface-such as rubber, felt, or other similar materialasshown at 43, and each of the slats forming the structure will also bepadded with rubber or some other yielding material.

The construction of the fender is such and it is so mounted andsupported that whenever an obstruction is encountered the fender isswung about the pivot 3 against the yielding supports, and in doing sothe nose or front rail 15 is brought close to the ground. This operationis highly important, since it insures that the fender will be carriedimmediately into position to scoop up or pass under the obstacle insteadof being lifted by the obstacle and tending to crowd the latter againstthe track, as so many fenders do. The roll 40 assists the person orother obstacle struck by the fender to roll to the back side of thefender. By yieldingly supporting the bottom of the fender upon thesprings 13 the jar or shock with which a person who happens to be caughtby the fender is received is greatly reduced.

83 designates a chain or otherflexible connection, which is attached atone end to one of the tie-rods 3 and at the other end to the car-body.The purpose of this chain is to prevent the car-fender from swinging sofar forward as to become disengaged from the heads 35.

While I have herein described one structure in which my invention may beembodied, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown,as the latter may be varied in many ways without departing frommyinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1s- 1. In a car-fender, two connected side pieces pivotednear their upper ends to the car-body, yielding means engaging the lowerends of the side pieces and normally holding the nose of the fenderslightly elevated, a fender-bottom pivoted at its front edge to the noseportion of the side pieces, and yielding means to sustain the rearportion of said bottom.

2. A car-fender having a back, sides and a bottom, said bottom beingpivoted at its front edge, means to yieldingly sustain its rear edge,means to pivotally connect the upper portion of the fender to thecar-body, and a yielding support to engage the fenderback at its lowerportion.

3. In a car-fender, two substantially L- shaped side pieces, slatsconnecting the vertical portions of said side pieces and forming theback of the fender, a fender-bottom pivoted to the nose of the sidepieces, and springs to sustain the rear portion of said bottom.

4. In a car-fender, aframe comprising two substantially L-shaped sidepieces, slats interposed between the vertical portions of said sidepieces and forming the back of the fender, tie members connecting saidside pieces, a fender-bottom pivoted to the front of the side pieces,springs to sustain the rear side of the bottom, and removable fendersides.

5. In a car-fender, two side pieces each havinga vertical portion and anose portion pivoted thereto, a fender-back carried by the verticalportions, a fender-bottom pivoted to the ends of the nose portions, andsprings to sustain the rear portion of the said bottom.

6. In a car-fender, two side pieces each having avertical portion and anose portion pivoted thereto, a fender-back carried by the verticalportions, a fender-bottom pivoted to the ends of the nose portions, andsprings to sustain the rear portion of the said bottom, means to pivotthe fender at its upper portion to a car-body, and yielding means toengage the lower part of each side piece.

7. In a car-fender, two side pieces each having a vertical portion and anose portion pivoted thereto, a fender-back carried by the verticalportions, a fender-bottom pivoted to the ends of the nose portions,springs to sustain the rear portion of the said bottom, and stops tolimit the swinging movement of the nose portions.

8. A car-fender pivoted at its upper end to the car-body, a bumperdepending from the deer raised above the track, and means to adcar-body,rods slidably mounted in said just said rods in said bumpers whereby thebumper and engaging the lower portion of norlnaldistanoeofthenoseofthefender above 15 the fender, and springs'surrounding the rodsthe track may be regulated.

5 and tending normally to hold the nose of the In testimony whereof Ihave signed my fender raised above the track. name to this specificationin the presence of 9. A ear-fender pivoted at its upper end to twosubscribing witnesses. the car-body a bumper dependin from the car body,rbds slidably mount d in said FREDERICK KEITH 1o bumper and engaging thelower portion of Witnesses:

the fender, springs surrounding the rods and EDWARD J. DOHERTY, tendingnormally to hold the nose of the fenl EDWARD J. MEIGHAN.

